Chimneys are a part of your home that you don’t think about very often. They’re built to keep you safe from fire and smoke, but they can also get dirty over time if you don’t clean the chimney out regularly. Here’s how often you should clean the chimney to keep it running smoothly.
Proper chimney maintenance is one of those things that most homeowners avoid, but you should know that it’s essential. A chimney, much like your gutters, is a portal for dirt and debris to enter your home. If you don’t clean your chimney regularly, it can cause chimney fires, which can cause property damage and even harm your family.
How Often to Clean the Chimney in a year
Chimneys play an essential role in adequately operating your home heating system. Cleaning your chimney regularly can help keep your home comfortable during the cold months. However, some homeowners fail to perform this maintenance task and risk damaging their chimneys. Fortunately, there is an easy way to prevent this from happening.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, one should inspect chimneys, fireplaces, and vents at least once a year. This inspection will provide soundness, freedom from deposits and correct clearances to combustibles. This inspection should include the appliance connector pipe, the chimney or vent, and the fireplace opening. Contact us for Chimney Cleaning Service in Cumming.
For optimum performance and safety, any homeowner should clean chimneys every year before the heating season begins. Moreover, they should inspect chimneys, fireplaces, and vents at least once a year. The inspector should also ensure the chimney has adequately vented to the outside. Once the inspection is complete, the inspector should provide you with a written report.
You must properly maintain fireplaces and chimneys in safe working conditions. It will help you determine if you need to repair or replace any part of the chimney. Homeowners should also be careful when using their fireplaces and stoves. Without regular cleaning, your home is more likely to be at risk for fire damage. Many homeowners don’t consider that their fireplace is connected to their home’s ventilation system. The same air circulated throughout the house can also be heated by your fireplace and then sent back into your home.
How to Clean the Chimney
The first step is to call in a professional chimney sweeper to evaluate the chimney’s condition to determine if it needs cleaning and repairing. If an inspection shows deterioration, the masonry must be stabilized before cleaning can be done safely. A trained expert can repair creosote buildup and other problems caused by regular use. Make sure you choose a company with a brick-and-mortar business location so you know they will remain in business for years to come to provide future maintenance if needed.
If the masonry is sound, the technician will clean out the ash and debris from the fireplace using a vacuum attached to the top of a specially designed-ladder. It removes dirt, debris, and flammable materials that can cause fires and lessen the system’s efficiency. Following the cleaning process, the technician will inspect the chimney for any damage to the lining or other parts and repair or replace them as needed. They will also test the system’s operation to ensure they are safe and efficient working. The professional will also perform necessary maintenance to ensure the smooth operation and proper venting of the fireplace.
Read more: 7 Benefits of Cleaning HVAC System
Benefits of Chimney Cleaning
Chimney cleaning is not as exciting as you might think, but the process has several benefits that are worth your time. When you clean your chimney regularly, you are helping to prevent a fire from happening in your home. Chimney cleaning also removes creosote, which can be flammable. Finally, chimney cleaning reduces the health risks posed by your fireplace’s carbon monoxide emissions. First, regular and annual chimney inspections will effectively prevent house fires. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), every year, chimneys and fireplaces cause about 15,000 house fires. The most important preventative maintenance you can do is clean your chimney regularly.
A quality technician will inspect every inch of your chimney for damage and debris that can cause a fire hazard. By finding and removing this debris, you can prevent the risk of fire from starting in your home. Creosote is another factor that can cause fires in a home. If your chimney has not been cleaned in a while, there is a good chance that creosote has built up inside of the flu. This substance is flammable and can easily cause a fire to break out in your home if you’re not removing it correctly. The NFPA states that over a quarter of all reported residential fires are by dirty chimneys.
If your home is not adequately ventilated, the carbon monoxide in your fireplace can spread into the air and pose a significant health risk for you and your family! Regular chimney cleaning ensures adequate ventilation coming into your home from the outside.
